Trump replaces homeland security chief

US President Donald Trump has announced Secretary of Homeland Security Kisrtjen Nielsen is leaving her position.

In a tweet, the president thanked her for her service and said she would be temporarily replaced by Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan.

Ms Nielsen has held her position since December 2017.

She has drawn criticism for her staunch defence of some of Mr Trump’s most contentious border policies.

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Her department was responsible for implementing the proposed border wall and the separation of migrant families.

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Last June, protesters booed Ms Nielsen as she ate at a Mexican restaurant in Washington DC.

The announcement she is leaving her post comes the day after the president visited the southern border.

Mr Trump has recently threatened to shut the crossing, but has since backtracked and promised to give Mexico a year to stop illegal drugs and migrants crossing into the US.

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